Ardstinchar Castle and War Memorial:

The castle is a ruin and is crumbling so please don’t be tempted to go for a closer look. It greets you on the hill as you approach Ballantrae from the south on the A77. Turn right just after the bridge and park to get a better view.F

The war memorial lies on a steep slope that is not accessible if you use a wheelchair or have a pushchair.

Old Stinchar Bridge:

The castle dates from 1450 and the stone from the ruined castle was used to build the old bridge which is no longer safe to us but makes for great photo opportunities.

River Stinchar Path:

The path follows the edge of the river for a few miles although I’ve personally only walked the first mile. There are places to sit and have a picnic although there are no seats. Please be careful … when I took these photos today the river level was very low and it will rise significantly after a storm/heavy rain.

The river contains salmon and trout and we’ve had quite a few fishermen staying with us over the past few years. You’ll need to buy a permit to fish so please do ask when you book and I’ll give you details of who to speak to about that.

We weren’t the only ones enjoying the river path today. We met the staff and the pupils of the local Nursery class who were exploring the fauna and flora around the river

The bluebells were out in full bloom too.

Ballantrae Beach:

Despite the sun, we had the whole beach to ourselves today!

It’s a strange beach … some days we have sand … others we have pebbles … and other days we have a mile of kelp!!

Ayrshire Coastal Path:

The Ayrshire Coastal Path starts at Genapp Kirk about 10 miles south of Ballantrae. The route take brings you to the south end of the village and over the Stinchar via the A77 then turns left towards the shore.

Follow the shore towards the harbour and then out of the village to the north.

You can buy copies of the Ayrshire Coadtal Path guidebook at the garden centre and I have copies for guests to use if they’re staying over.

Garden Centre and Cafe:

The garden centre itself is very easy to find. It’s on the A77 at the north end of the village. We eat there regularly and Maisy always has a peanut ball which she thoroughly recommends to everyone! It has a small children’s play area and some days in the summer they have a narrow gauge railway and train which chugs around the field. There is access to the Ayrshire Coastal Path direct from this field near where the Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink is held in June.

Although dogs cannot go into the cafe itself, they are dog friendly and there are bowls of water for the dogs.

You can order tea/coffee, light snacks, soup or full meals and it’s all very reasonably priced. There is also a freezer in the garden centre where you can get a range of ice cream lollies.

Old Cemetery and Kennedy Memorial:

Clan Kennedy are associated with Carrick and most especially with Culzean Castle which is about 30 miles north of Ballantrae. A walk around the old cemetery on a beautiful sunny day like today was an absolute pleasure and it was lovely to see how well-kept the area is.

There is another graveyard to the south of Ballantrae and others at Colmonell and Glenapp for anyone tracing ancestors.

I even spotted the graves of former Balkissock residents. Major Onslow’s name also appears on the War Memorial.

Ballantrae Public Gardens:

They’re probably the smallest public gardens anywhere in Scotland but they’re very well kept!

On a practical note, Ballantrae also has a garage where you can get fuel 24 hours a day (via a card machine), a small Scotmid supermarket that the lorry drivers use so it has, hot pies, cakes and a coffee machine and also a cash machine if you need it. For residents, it also boasts a bowling green and tennis courts … not bad for a small village!!

We also have a wonderful thrift shop BRICC. The charity itself looks after elderly and infirm in the community and is a fabulous treasure trove of the unusual.

At 80 years of age, she’s a little unsteady on her feet and uses a walking stick so I was surprised at how well she was able to get around the gardens. This was accomplished by the hard work of the staff who have really made an effort at levelling paths and making gradients and steps as easy to navigate as possible.

It’s rather too early in the year for the huge flower displays that garden attractions are famed for but there was still loads to see from succulents in the hot house to bud bursting huge azaleas and rhododenderons in the walled garden.

The one hundred year old magnolia tree in full bloom was worth the £6.95 entrance fee alone!

The weather was kind, the scones in the cafe were absolutely delicious and I spent way too much on seeds in the shop again too!!

Logan is part of the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens and contains many southern hemisphere exotics that grow well in it’s microclimate in the South Rhinns of Galloway, near Ardwell, a 50 minute drive away from Balkissock Lodge B&B.

I also love to take photos s what better than take photos of the weather!! Just look at the range of views taken over the past couple of weeks:

Sunshine and storm clouds:

Double rainbow in the Tig valley:

Mist in the Tig valley:

Ice:

Rainbow clouds over Balkissock:

We certainly experience a lot of different types of weather here on the south west coast of Scotland so when I saw that the BBC launched their weather watchers I was eager to sign up to add my photos to their website. I was somewhat shocked when I got my one second of fame when one of my photos was shown on BBC Scotland!!

The weather has been great this week for the end of September and it’s been ideal to get out and about.

One place to visit is the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, on the south side of Ayr which has been in the top 10 of places to visit for our guests.

In addition to the museum that provides the story of Robert’s life, it houses a lovely café and a gift shop with all sorts of Scottish fayre to take home as souvenirs.

Across the large car park is a beautiful walkway with sculptures taking you to the old house which takes about 10-15 minues to saunter to. Don’t forget to have your photo taken next to the “wee” mouse!!

There is also parking at the house if you prefer not to walk.

A short walk in the opposite direction from the museum will take you to the park which houses the Burns monument and the another photo opportunity is to stand on the Brig o’ Doon itself.

Whilst there, why not treat yourself to a beautiful meal at the Brig ‘O Doon hotel?

The Burns Museum is owned and operated by the National Trust for Scotland. If you’re not a member it costs £9 per person entry but I have some vouchers which will get you a discounted entry of £6 per person.